Charity
by Minesniper
Summary: After their father died in an accident years ago, it fell to Yang to raise Ruby. Living on the edge, with the generous donations to a local food bank the two manage to get by. And so long as the support of that food bank can be relied on, Yang might just be able to get her sister the better life she deserves. Celebrating my account's second anniversary! [Three-shot] Real world AU.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everyone, it's been a while. If you're coming from Plot Hole, the reason I haven't updated that in forever was that I wrote the first chapter for a new fic (I plan to finish it, then release on a schedule after one of my current fics end), then wrote most of the next Hollow Fragments chapter before losing it all and having to start again. After that I put a little work into the next Plot Hole chapter, but then switched over to this.**

 **Speaking of which, happy two year anniversary to this account! Yay! Last year in celebration, I put out a one-shot. I planned to do the same this year, but it kept getting longer and longer and longer, until I decided to break it up into parts so that I could get the first chapter out on time, while still being able to do everything I wanted to. Part two is done as well, and I'm getting started on part three: expect them to come out a couple days apart from one another.**

 **So this is actually based on a personal experience of mine. After distributing food at a food pantry one day, my father and I had a conversation about the people going there. They all had cars, phones, and money. They weren't homeless and their clothes weren't dirty or tattered, but they still relied on the food pantry. It's not that they can't afford food, it's that they'd have to give something else up for it that they may need. Not having to pay for food means they can more easily pay rent, repair their car, add to their savings, etc. It's the little bit of help that can make everything else possible.**

 **So of course, here's a nightmare scenario for two people who in no way deserve it brought to you by my cruel mind. Hope to see some reviews from you all with guesses as to how shit's going to hit the fan, and if/how things will be resolved!**

* * *

' _Alright, let's see… keys, wallet, phone… everything's here._ ' Closing her purse, Yang looked over her shoulder at the living room. Seated on the sofa was her younger sister, Ruby, who was currently wrapped up watching some TV show she was probably too old for. "Ruby, you did all your homework already?"

"Yep," the red-haired girl replied, her eyes not once leaving the screen.

Yang narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Even your math?"

"Yep."

Opening a drawer on the table next to her, Yang's suspicions were confirmed. "And you did it all without your calculator? Very good, Ruby," she said sarcastically. _That_ got the younger sister's attention. Taking the calculator out of the drawer, Yang strolled across the room and knelt beside the last family she had. "Ruby, I know you've been skipping assignments, your teachers called me. I get that it's not fun, but Rubes you've _really_ got to do well!"

"I know…." She replied, "It's just so… boring! It's all just busy-work anyways, you know I do great on tests anyways. It's not like I don't _know_ the stuff!"

Sighing tiredly, Yang gently took hold of Ruby's hands and looked her in the eye. " _I_ know that, Rubes, but those little grades add up, and it makes you look like just an average student. You know there's no way we can pay for your college on our own- you've really got to show them just how smart you are. We'll get _some_ financial aid because we don't have much money, but you'll still need scholarships if you want to actually be able to afford it!"

Seeing how bad her sister felt, Yang wrapped her in a warm embrace. "Look, I've got to get moving if I want to get us food for next week, but I really need you to get your work done." she said softly, "So try to get it done before I get home, and we can watch some TV together, okay?"

Ruby sniffed and nodded her head. "Okay," she echoed quietly.

Standing up, Yang looked over her shoulder one more time before stepping out of their apartment. Closing and locking the door behind her, she passed the long-broken elevator and started descending the stairs. Having worked a later shift that usual, she hadn't been home long enough to change out of her work clothes- black pants and a black t-shirt with the logo of the restaurant she waitressed at on the front.

Stepping into the early autumn air, Yang walked to her car, her dad's old sedan, and climbed inside. Starting the engine, the blonde carefully pulled out of her parking space and began to follow the route she'd become very familiar with.

* * *

Pulling up to the church, Yang eased into a parking space and got out of her car. She never really was a big believer in religion, but she was eternally grateful for those who were. Various members of this church had come together to turn the basement into a foodbank, and one of the wealthier members of the congregation had pledged to pay for all the food when donations weren't enough.

Lately her help had been needed more and more.

As Yang walked down the concrete walkway toward the entrance, she spotted a familiar face- one of the churchgoers who helped distribute the food. "Hiya, Blake!"

The black-haired woman, who had been deep in thought, jumped in surprise at the loud noise. "Oh… hi, Yang." She replied sullenly. Yang hesitated at the sound of Blake's voice. Normally she'd greet people with a smile, and the two of them always spoke with one another after Yang collected her food, so the drastic change troubled the blonde deeply.

"Blake," she started slowly, "is something wrong?"

The woman nodded sadly. "Miss Rosewood was in a car accident yesterday evening. They're not sure if she's going to make it, and without her donations we may not be able to keep the pantry stocked." Yang was shocked. Ellen Rosewood had single-handedly guaranteed the foodbank would never run out of supplies, and if she died….

"Did she at least put the foodbank in her will? Do you know?"

Blake just shook her head. "I don't know. She may not have thought to do it, or she might just want her kids to get the inheritance. I just don't know." Taking a deep breath, and wiping her watery eyes, Blake tried to recompose herself. "Look, there's nothing to be done right now. Go on in and get your food, you know the drill. We'll give you all updates on the situation as soon as we can, alright?"

Yang hesitated a moment longer, trying to think of something to say, but nothing came to her. Instead, she gave the woman a light hug, and stepped inside.

* * *

Yang tried to reach the keys in her pocket unsuccessfully several times. Annoyed, she carefully placed the bags of food that had been wrapped in her arms on the floor, and reached for the keys with her now-free hand. When she stepped inside, she saw Ruby had fallen asleep on the couch with the TV on. As she approached the dozing girl, she noticed the completed sheet of math problems that Ruby had left on the table.

Sighing, the older sister searched for a blanket to place over Ruby. Once she had, she gently ran her fingers through the red-head's soft hair. "Sorry, Rubes, we'll watch something tomorrow night, I promise." She placed a kiss on the girl's forehead, and went to unpack the food and change into her sleepwear.

As she reached for the door to her and Ruby's shared bedroom, Yang hesitated. _'If we might not have the food bank, maybe I should look at our spending to see where we need to cut back. Just in case.'_ Although the temptation of sleep was powerful, common sense won out. With an exhausted groan, Yang returned to the kitchen table. By the light of a small table lamp, she got down to business.

' _Tips make up most of the money I bring home, but they vary so much. I guess I'll have to figure out how much I make on average.'_ Quietly borrowing Ruby's calculator, she started adding up all the money she'd made each week for the past few months. After a few minutes, she had her answer. _'Alright, now, let's see here. How much of that do we use?'_ An answer not many people would be certain of, but Yang had been doing this for a couple years now, and she had become well-acquainted with _exactly_ how much was spent. She'd needed to.

' _And now… now food.'_ Yang hadn't been to the grocery store in a long time. She had long ago decided that their food was what the kindness of others could provide. Of course, she could have afforded to get special treats occasionally, but in the end Yang believed that saving the money would be more important. _'And I get the sinking feeling I was right.'_ Looking at the store's prices on her outdated phone, Yang swallowed nervously. She wasn't the best at math, and Ruby was certainly a much better student than she had been, but even she could see it was too much. _'Too expensive… it's just too expensive.'_

Trying to come up with a vague semblance of a meal plan, she tried to figure out how much she needed. _'Ruby's school pays for lunches, so I only need something for those on weekends… and she usually wakes up for breakfast a bit too late once a week, right? She likes sleeping in, so maybe I'll let her get away with it on weekends. That saves a bit too.'_ In the back of her mind, Yang knew that she was coming up with justifications for cutting out meals, not because they were clearly unnecessary, but because she wanted the number she'd come out with to be as low as possible.

She wasn't cutting out those breakfasts because Ruby wouldn't eat them. She was cutting them out because Ruby wouldn't eat them enough times. She knew there would be days when her sister wanted breakfast, and she knew that she would have to say no then. She laid her head on her hands, thinking of a solution, and shut her eyes to try to keep tears from welling up in them.

She didn't even realize she was drifting off to sleep as her weariness overcame the anxiety that gripped her, and soon Yang was fast asleep.

* * *

"Yang! Yang! I'm going to be late, wake up!" Ruby's cries shocked the blonde-haired woman awake. Her eyes darted to the clock, growing wide as she saw the time.

"Everything's such a mess when you first bring it back!" Ruby complained. "Where's the breakfast stuff?"

"Not now, Ruby, we need to get moving. No time for breakfast!" Grabbing her sister by the hand, she almost dragged the girl with her to the door. Still in her pajamas, Yang slipped on a pair of shoes, grabbed her wallet and keys, and rushed down to the car.

Ruby, however, didn't like the idea of going hungry. "What are you talking about, Yang! I know you can't cook anything, but I can definitely have something quick!" Yang quickly thought up an excuse.

"Er- well, yesterday I had a bit of trouble starting the car, it didn't turn on the first time. If that happens again, we'll need more time to get you in on time. Just eat a really big lunch, okay? I'll make sure to wake up on time from now on." Truthfully, the car was fine. A bit old- _'well, really old'_ \- and she hadn't fixed it up in a while because of their budget. The 'check engine' light was on, but it had been like that since before Yang even inherited it, so she could only hope for the best.

In reality, Yang just wanted to save the food for later. The previous night had greatly unnerved her. The idea that the two of them lived on the edge had always been in the back of her mind, but until she sat down and looked at their financial situation it had been something she could ignore. _'If I'm not going to be buying breakfast for every morning, the least I can do is save her some for later.'_

The ride was mostly quiet. Ruby sat in the passenger seat checking through her bag to make sure she had everything. Or that was the case, until, "Hey! My calculator! I must have missed it when I got my math homework! I guess I didn't see it, and just assumed I packed it already."

' _Oh, right.'_ Yang thought glumly _'She has math every other day, and I borrowed it last night.'_ Speaking up, the older sister quickly explained it to her. "Sorry, Rubes, I had to use it last night. It's too late to turn back now… uh, would your teacher let you use my phone if you told her it was my fault?"

"Maybe, I know you had her too. She probably remembers how much of a screw-up you are." Ruby joked. Yang dramatically gasped at the 'insult', and threw a hand over her heart. "But won't you need it?"

"All the hard work I do for my dear sister, and this is the thanks I get?" Yang pulled up to the front of the school, and ushered her sister out. "I should be fine without it, today. Just turn on airplane mode so it doesn't go off in class, and if you mess with anything on there you don't get the desert they gave out this week. Now off with you, I've got some stuff to take care of before work."

Just before stepping out, however, Ruby turned to look back at Yang. "Hey, that reminds me, what did you need my calculator for last night, anyways? I wondered why you slept at the table last night, but I kinda forgot to ask in the rush."

She hesitated in her response, trying to think of the best way to answer the question without worrying Ruby. "I was just looking over our finances. Wanted to see if there was anything we didn't need to be spending so much on, you know?"

The younger girl accepted the answer easily, and stepped out into the brisk morning air, looking back only to wave goodbye to Yang as she disappeared into the crown of students headed inside.

* * *

 **Well, I'm sure everything's going to be just fine. Miss Rosewood is a strong woman, she'll make it through this. Nothing to worry about.**

 **Thanks for reading and putting up with my shit for 2 years,**

 **Minesniper**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello friends! Part two here, hope you all enjoy.**

* * *

Elena Rosewood passed away shortly after her accident. And unfortunately for the foodbank, she hadn't edited her will in a long time. While certainly elderly, the woman had been in great health, and certainly had decades left in her natural life. Death wasn't something on her mind frequently, and she liked it that way.

With her money gone to its inheritors, the food bank was forced to shut down. Not enough donations were made to keep it afloat, and the best the church could manage was organizing a large collection to give needy families a few good meals around the holidays. For some, the burden could be endured, albeit uncomfortably. Luckily for Yang and Ruby, the older sister still managed to provide for them-admittedly with some cutbacks.

Everything seemed to be returning to normal. Or a new normal, at least. The transition to eliminate unnecessary spending took time, and cut into their savings, but the pair managed it all the same. All seemed well… and then the car broke down.

Yang had been hunched over the table for hours, staring blankly at the sheets of paper before her as if time would reveal a magical answer hidden between the lines. Sitting in the same place that she'd assessed their budget nearly a month ago, Yang searched desperately for a way to save some cash. This time, however, she wasn't as successful.

"I can't do it," the woman whispered to herself, "I can't afford to fix the damn car." Her nightmares had come to pass. She'd been pushed up against the edge, and after managing to get by for weeks, she'd finally been pushed over it. And now, now she felt lost. The sisters had already been forced to sell things around the apartment, and their savings were just about gone; there was nowhere left to draw from.

Ruby chose that moment to step out from her room and walk up to Yang. "Sis, is everything going to be okay?"

Yang feigned a yawn, using her apparent tiredness to rub her eyes. She managed to wipe away the tears that had been welling up, and she could only hope they didn't look too red as she turned to face the redhead. "It's… well, I'm working on it, okay? I'll figure something out, you just keep doing well in school, and take care of yourself. Now don't worry about me, I was about to call it a night anyways."

After a quick hug, the younger sibling went back to their room. Yang ran a hand through her hair as she sighed again- she was acutely aware that she'd been doing that a lot lately. She wasn't sure whether lying to her sister was the right thing to do, but she didn't want to worry Ruby. The girl already had enough on her plate with school, and Yang refused to add to that.

Ruby already had to walk to school now- it wasn't too far, but it'd be less and less comfortable as winter set in, and it meant the girls had to wake up even earlier. "Well, at least we're saving on gas." Yang chuckled mirthlessly before her frown returned. "Things will get better... they have to…."

* * *

As it turned out, getting to work became a serious issue. No buses stopped anywhere nearby, and none of her coworkers ever came close to this neighborhood. The walks to the bus stops got worse and worse as the temperatures outside plummeted, and then one day Yang had the misfortune of spraining her ankle. She knew enough to immobilize it with a splint, but it would take weeks to heal.

Having been increasingly concerned about Yang making it on time, her manager saw this as a warning. Whether or not it was her fault, Yang Xiao Long could not be counted on to make it in whenever he needed her. She had to work around the bus schedule, and she was much more susceptible to weather and injuries keeping her at home.

" _If you can find a way to make sure you're in on time consistently, I'll see if I can fit you back in. Until then, Yang, I'm sorry. I need employees with more flexible schedules."_

She knew that wasn't easy for him to say. He'd been kind to her, and she genuinely wasn't to blame, but charity didn't help the restaurant, and he had to look after everyone else there. If Yang was paid, but couldn't be counted on to pick up hours when needed, the rest of the would have to pick up her slack. It wasn't fair to them.

Still, the feeling of hopelessness sank in as she waited for Ruby to get home from school. They had no car, no savings, and now she was out of a job. Even Ruby had tried looking for a part time job somewhere, but there wasn't anyone hiring. The end of the year is generally one of the slowest when applying for jobs, and the scarcity of offerings in the area made the competition incredible.

Yang began to cry, something she'd held back time and time again. The stress was finally beating her down after everything she'd been through over the past few months. Summer and Tai were gone, that useless drunk Qrow was nowhere to be found, and Raven… who even knew about Raven? She'd dropped off the face of the planet when Yang was born, and it would appear she tried hard to keep it that way. The sisters were on their own, and it seemed they'd finally run out of luck.

* * *

"Cardin, please, give me a chance!" Yang was pleading with the building owner, the notice of eviction held loosely in her hands. "I've paid on time for years! You know that I'm not trying to screw you over here! I'm looking for a job, please, just give me a couple weeks! I'll pay it all back, I just need some time!" Yang was aware Ruby was probably listening right now. After months of pretending everything would be okay, offering her sister assurances that she'd figure something out, Yang was giving up the charade.

They were in trouble, serious trouble, and keeping her sister calm wasn't possible anymore. It hardly mattered if Ruby saw her like this- desperate and pleading. Her pride wasn't worth losing their home, and any chance she had relied on the man before her being charitable.

But as she'd known deep down, it wasn't meant to be. "You've got three days to pack up and get out."

At least her boss had been unhappy with their decision, the straightforward reply was like a slap to the face. "But… but it's winter! Where are we supposed to go? It's freezing outside, what do we do!?"

"Sorry," he said in a way that clearly showed he wasn't, "you've got three days to pack up and get out." The disinterest in his voice was maddening. Yang wanted to punch him in the face, maybe then he'd at least regret _something_ he'd done that day, but the last thing she needed was to get in more trouble.

She tried to appeal to him again, but Cardin cut her off. "Do you need me to say it a third time, blondie?" Yang's face fell, and she stared at the floor at a loss for words. With her silence as his answer, the man turned around and marched down the stairs without another word. Yang's eviction had just been another item on his checklist, and he could finally get on with his day.

The woman closed her door and leaned her back against it before sliding to the floor. She pulled her legs up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them as she sobbed. She felt lost, hopeless, powerless. Yang couldn't even choke anything out as she felt her sister rush to her side with a warm hug. All she could do is sit idly as the dam holding back everything that had been building up finally gave way.

* * *

"Ruby wake up, you've got school, get a move-on." Yang shook the girl bundled up in sweaters in an attempt to rouse her. The two of them had settled on an abandoned building a few blocks away to stay in. Luckily for the two of them, the building was still in one piece, so it was at least slightly warmer than outside. The two had sold whatever they couldn't take with them, and tried to keep the rest of it hidden in a small room there. They also made every effort to make sure they weren't seen coming here.

They'd never needed to fear being found in their sleep before, but the area wasn't very safe and there was no telling what might happen if someone came across them. Originally the building was locked tight, keeping everyone out, however Yang figured out that she could reach a window if she pushed a dumpster against the wall. Once inside, the older sister unlocked the door and let Ruby in. The building's new accessibility had yet to be discovered by anyone else, and the pair could only hope it remained that way.

"Ruby! Come on!" Yang was met only with a quiet groan. The younger girl still attended school, it was in everyone's best interest to keep kids off the street, and so even homeless children could still attend school. The school also promised to help all its students apply for college, so Yang kept urging Ruby to succeed in her academics. How she'd get there, how they'd afford it if she didn't receive full-ride scholarships, and dozens of other questions were left unspoken.

Yang had no answers, and Ruby knew that if she voiced her concerns then her sister would likely break down into tears again. It was a hopeless situation, and they both knew it; but they kept quiet and worked toward unattainable dreams, it was all they could do to keep from giving up entirely.

"Ruby Rose, now is not the time to be lazy! You know this is all we've got left, so like it or not you're getting up!" Yang's shaking had steadily increased in strength until now Ruby's whole upper body twisted back and forth.

"Ugh… Yang… stop it…." Ruby was never this hard to get up, never. Yang took off the thick gloves she'd worn to stay warm, and brought her shaking hand up to Ruby's forehead. She gasped at the warmth, and her fears were confirmed- Ruby had a fever, a _bad_ fever. She wasn't going to school, that was for certain, but her sister making it to class was the least of Yang's worries.

Asking her sister question after question, Yang came up with a list of symptoms that concerned her greatly: Sudden chills, frequent coughing, stabbing pains that came from simply breathing. She wasn't a doctor, but even Yang knew this wasn't a simple cold.

She had no idea what to do for Ruby. She knew they needed medicine, but there was no way she'd be affording any. She knew Ruby should see a doctor, but again, she had no way to pay for it. Whatever Ruby had, she doubted she could take care it of in their current situation.

Desperate, Yang thought. She knew there was a homeless shelter several blocks away, but there was never an opening for them. Perhaps she could leave Ruby there inside for the day, just while she went about looking for some way to get the help needed? Deciding that anything was better than leaving her sister in the cold, the blonde threw an abandoned tarp over their belongings to try to hide them from anyone who might pass through, and helped Ruby to her feet. The girl was almost limp in her arms, but Yang wasn't about to give up on Ruby.

Getting a good hold on her younger sister, Yang started the long walk to the shelter.

* * *

Getting Ruby inside had been relatively easy. She managed to pretend she was just carrying Ruby around since her sister was tired, and said that she was coming to visit someone she'd met on the street not too long ago. He'd seemed nice, and though she didn't exactly know him, he was her best hope.

Making her way around the maze of cots, she eventually spotted a familiar face- a homeless man that had lived in a nearby alleyway. "Miss Long? Is that you? I haven't seen you in a while. But what're you doing here?"

"Xiao Long, actually," she corrected, "My sister's sick, and I needed to get her out of the cold. If you can just keep an eye on her and pretend to be talking with her so they don't kick her out, I'll try to get you something while I'm out. Okay?"

The old man chuckled. "That's fine, I've got plenty of stories to tell, not many people to tell them to. I'm sure I can go on all day if I have to. I hope you can find something to help her feel better." With an appreciative smile, Yang slipped out the side door, and started looking for a pharmacy.

' _Desperate times call for desperate measures.'_

* * *

 **I just want to say that I've learned that some of you, or people that some of you know, have gone through an experience like this (or at least some aspects of it- I hope not everything Yang and Ruby deal with). I don't take this lightly, and it really makes me hope that I'm keeping this in good taste. I don't want to downplay any struggles they face, nor do I want to throw cartoonishly bad obstacles in their way as if anyone struggling to get by suffers from incredible bad luck.**

 **It may just be my self-consciousness, but this is something I really take seriously; so I hope that everyone likes what I have written so far, and I'll see you in the next chapter.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thought this would take days, took months. I wasn't doing nothing, but I could have done this a lot faster.**

 **I kept rewriting it, and kept hating it, and I've finally surrendered. I've been hung up on two short conversations since Thanksgiving, and if I didn't get this out soon I'd go mad. So here it is, I hope you like it more than I do.**

* * *

Nobody paid attention to the hooded figure walking into the pharmacy. It was a cold, winter morning- of everyone was bundled up in clothing, all trying to cover as much of themselves as possible. Well, except that one guy in the back who was wearing shorts and a t-shirt… he's an absolute madman. Keeping their head down, the bundled-up customer walked back to the medicine aisles.

Ibuprofen, lidocaine, acetaminophen, just about anything that claimed to treat symptoms Ruby was experiencing. Yang was broke, and she couldn't kidnap a doctor; she could, however, steal any medicine that might be of use and make a break for it. She could sort out which ones shouldn't be taken together later, she wasn't an idiot, but it meant nothing if she didn't have the medicine in the first place.

Making sure nobody was watching, the blonde slipped the medicine into her pockets and made her way back toward the entrance. She'd never exactly researched the mechanics of store security systems, but she knew that if she could avoid identification and get out of sight long enough, there was little chance she'd get caught. Walking casually up the aisle furthest from the registers, Yang waited for the shrill cry of the alarm before drawing any attention to herself.

Even knowing she knew it was coming, the woman still flinched at the sudden racket that assaulted her eardrums. Yang broke into a sprint, keeping her head down to hide her face. The shouts of several cashiers chased after her, but as far she could tell nobody was pursuing her. She had a head start, and it was unlikely the cashiers would try to catch her.

Brushing past a man in a long, white coat, Yang ducked into an alley and kept running. She'd scouted the area out first, and formed a plan to avoid being caught. Skidding to a halt behind a trash can, the blonde tossed the boxes of medicine to the ground, and then dropped a discarded sheet over them. Moving deeper into the back alley, she hid in a doorway as she changed costume.

Unzipping her coat, Yang removed the article of clothing to reveal the bright yellow hoodie worn beneath. Removing her beanie and gloves, the thief bunched the clothing up and shoved it into the empty purse she'd left there earlier. As a finishing touch, she removed the orange scarf from her hoodie's pocket and wrapped it around her neck.

Plastering a confident smile on her face, Yang shook her hair and stepped out of the doorway-

"For an amateur, that was pretty clever."

And found herself face-to-face with the man she'd rushed by earlier. Her confident mask crumbled immediately, panic gripping her heart as she knew she'd been caught. Not only had he seen her change outfits and gotten a good view of her face, but in his hands were the stolen items she'd hidden to be retrieved later.

"All different kinds of medicine, you're clearly new to this, immediately panicking… I'm going to make a wild guess and say somebody's sick." Yang's gaze was fixated on the ground, but she didn't need to look up at the man to know he was grinning smugly. "And you feel guilty too! Oh, now this is rich. Poor girl forced to steal medicine out of desperation- I almost can't believe it!"

Fear started turning to anger as the man continued to mock her. Yang clenched her fists and raised her head to glare at him. The man dropped her contraband as he reached to pull the cigar from his lips, one green eye looking her up and down while the other remained hidden behind a curtain of orange hair.

"Tell you what, Goldilocks, I've got a deal for you. If you help me out, you'll walk away with enough money to get a real doctor."

"And if I don't?" She asked suspiciously.

In response, the man shrugged. "If you're wondering whether I'll rat you out, then no. I've got no reason to stop you. But just a heads up, a couple of those will kill anyone who takes them together. Just something to think about." Placing the cigar back in his mouth, the man turned and walked down the alley away from the store. "Make up your mind quick, I've got places to be with or without you."

Yang would have liked to say she needed time to think it over, but deep down she knew that even if she didn't kill Ruby with the medicine, there was no guarantee it would actually help her recover. In reality, she only needed the time it took to scoop up the medicine before she rushed after him.

* * *

Everything about this was a terrible idea. Yang broke the law, then followed a stranger back to his home without telling anyone where she was going and with no clue what he wanted. _'Ruby would kill me if she knew I was being this stupid.'_ She'd thought about backing out, about heading straight back to Ruby with the medicine, but the fear that it wouldn't be enough kept her moving forward.

Now, seated with him and another woman around a table in his home, Yang could only hope that she hadn't made the biggest mistake of her life.

"Well, blondie, I'm surprised you actually stuck with it. I suppose that means some introductions are in order. My name is Roman, and this little ball of joy is Neo. Say 'hi,' Neo." Neo didn't move a muscle. "I think she likes you."

Clapping his hands, Roman leaned forward and continued his speech. "So, here's the deal, Neo and I make our living… redistributing people's money. They have a lot of it, we borrow some of it for our needs, you get the picture. Well lately the police have been making life hard on us, they've got someone upstairs actually making them do their jobs now. Very frustrating."

"It used to be that if we set off an alarm, it'd be nice and loud which warned us it was time to go. Now Neo and I are running into more silent alarms, and we've had a couple close calls now. Our only warning is the sound of sirens, so we don't have much time. On top of that, sometimes the police are just responding to something else and happen to pass by, but we can't risk waiting to see if they're after us or not."

"And that's where you come in." Roman said, leaning back once more. "I know who to rob and where to fence whatever we take. Neo's knows how to get inside their houses and makes sure people don't go back on deals with me. What we need is someone who will go inside and bring the goodies back out."

"So if the cops come, you can ditch me and not get caught." Yang stated flatly.

Neo smiled slightly and nodded. "Right on the money," Roman said, "you're not as dumb as you look. With the people we go after, there's enough money that we can give away a share if need be, and we're more than happy to make that investment if it keeps us out of prison. On top of that, they'll have caught their thief, and won't snoop around as much. It's perfect!"

Yang was taken aback by his straightforwardness. "You expect me to sign up to do the heavy lifting, take all the risk, and let you get most of the money? Why would I do that?"

The criminal smiled as if he'd know that question was coming. "Because you're desperate for money, and you can't do this yourself. You don't know how to get inside, you don't have any way to escape if you're found out, and even if you manage to pull it off you'd have no idea where to sell everything. Neo and I _can_ do this on our own, we just don't _want_ to." Silence reigned over the table as Yang thought everything over. He was right on all counts, really, and this may be her only chance at being able to afford proper treatment for Ruby.

"And how do you know I won't rat you out if they catch me?"

Torchwick laughed. "Go ahead, we're already wanted. It won't save you, and we won't be coming back here. We're not worried about the cops _knowing_ we committed a crime, we're worried about them _catching_ us. That's why Neo and I are outsourcing the risky part of the job- we can't enjoy what we have if we're in prison."

Cradling her head in her hands, Yang exhaled deeply. "Okay…. How much am I getting? If it's not enough to-"

Roman rolled his eyes and cut her off. "How much you make is up to you. You'll get a share of whatever you bring back, so the more you get the more you'll make. If you come out of there with too little, don't expect me to give you more than you earned. That's how this works."

' _No turning back now….'_

"Alright, I'm in."

* * *

The car pulled over to the side of the road, and Roman killed the engine. Stepping out of the vehicle, the thief propped open the car's hood. "Okay, Blondie, this is your stop," he said as he turned to face her, "I'll stick with the car and keep an eye out for any visitors, we're far enough away from the target that we shouldn't be that suspicious. When you've got everything give me a call and I'll pull up right by the house. Neo, she's your problem now."

The diminutive girl nodded and turned into the woods, waving for Yang to follow her. The two headed away from the road for a minute, then turned left and walked parallel to it. Yang repeatedly stumbled over logs and roots in the dark, but Roman had made it clear that there were to be no lights giving them away. The moon helped guide the pair, but the thick foliage and clouds blocked it all too frequently for Yang's taste.

The silence was suffocating. Neo didn't make a sound, moving effortlessly through the woods with an almost unnatural elegance. The blonde realized she had yet to speak a word since getting in the car with Roman. Did she have any doubts? Any private, concerned thoughts? Perhaps, but she didn't say a word.

Not when she left with them, not on the long ride out from the city, and not as she trekked through the darkness. Not a word.

The pair reached the edge of the woods, before them stretched a large lawn that lead to a breathtaking house. It wasn't a mansion by any means, however the two-story home was larger than anything Yang could hope to own one day. While a beautiful place to live, it wasn't what Yang had been expecting.

She'd imagined a sprawling home, a massive garage to hold the owners' many cars, pools, statues, and hedges decorating the lavish estate. Yang had expected their target to look… richer. This just seemed like a big family home. Again, thoughts of calling the police and ending this came to mind, and again Yang was forced to suppress them.

Even if whoever lived here didn't deserve this, they'd get better eventually. She wasn't so sure the same could be said for Ruby.

Yang felt Neo shake her arm roughly, and turned to find the criminal glaring at her, evidently Yang had zoned out for a moment. Waving her hand, Neo gestured for her to follow as she moved up to the house, pressing her back against its side. Going around the back of the house, Neo immediately knelt in front of the house's back door and set about getting it open.

The blonde's stomach churned as she waited to be sent inside, trying to remember what Roman had told her earlier. There should only be one man living here, and there were no pets that might give her presence away. She should look for small but valuable items to take- money, jewelry, and electronics mainly.

A soft click pulled her back into the present as the door swung inward. Neo nodded her head at the open doorway, and stepped back. Yang wanted to throw up, but she took a deep breath, took a moment to calm her nerves, and entered the dark house.

* * *

If the silence before had been uncomfortable, every creak and groan of the house was its own nightmare for Yang. The terrifying possibility that they would wake the owner, or worse yet that it _was_ the owner moving about the house, paralyzed Yang each time. She had already collected a phone, tablet, and had taken note of some speakers and fine dinnerware that seemed expensive.

' _I never understood why some of that stuff is so expensive. It's a plate, who cares what it looks like? You're eating off it, not hanging it on your wall-'_ A loud creak sounded as the girl stepped on a loose floorboard, eliciting a gasp of surprise from her. After holding still for what felt like an eternity, and having heard no angry homeowner charging her way, Yang gathered up the courage to continue.

Unfortunately, her next stop was upstairs. The master bedroom would be up there, and in it potentially the most valuable objects in the house. Yang had taken a fair number of expensive items, but in a best-case scenario, where Roman split the earnings equally, she would only see one third of the profit. She wasn't confident that she had enough yet. Yang needed something big.

Going room-to-room was agonizingly slow, any door she opened could lead to the victim of her crime, any room could contain a loud noise just waiting to give her away. For all her care and thorough searching, all she had found of note was a nice laptop and an old, mostly empty wallet that had contained a small amount of cash.

There was only one room left, the one at the very end of the hall, and Yang knew it must be the bedroom. Approaching the door slowly, not out of caution but because she wanted to delay violating the sanctity of this last room. It was the only part of this poor man's house she had not yet stripped of any valuables she could carry away, and the only part of his home still private from her.

Pushing open the door gently, she could hear his breathing now. Quiet, steady breaths came from the far side of the king sized bed. Though mostly covered by covers, Yang could make out his grey hair by the moonlight filtering through the curtains. _'Great, I'm robbing an old man. Why couldn't I at least be robbing someone who looks like an asshole? Is that too much to ask?'_

More cautious than ever, the older sister inched her way across the room, inspecting every tabletop and any drawers she could easily pull open. For her efforts, Yang was rewarded with a full wallet, a very nice wristwatch a newer smartphone, and several gold and silver rings. _'Enough, that's got to be enough.'_ Turning for the door, Yang had almost left when something caught her eye. She hadn't expected anything to be on the bedside table away from the sleeping man, but something green caught the moonlight and drew her toward it.

With her focus trained on the table, Yang's concentration slipped. A bang sounded out as her foot smashed into the foot of the bed, sending the poor girl diving to the floor to keep out of sight. Not daring to move a muscle, Yang held her breath as she strained her ears for any clues as to what the man was doing. Silence, the ruffling of bedsheets, and then… snoring?

Carefully rising, Yang poked her head over the side of the bed to find the man had merely shifted positions, and continued to sleep. Holding back a sigh of relief, she finally closed the distance to the bedside table. Getting a closer look at the item, Yang had to bite her tongue to stop herself from letting out a gasp.

Sitting before the photo of a beautiful woman were two rings, a gorgeous necklace, and a pair of earrings. Each one seemed to be made of gold, but that wasn't what drew Yang over. One of the rings, the necklace, and each earring were adorned with large emeralds. Looking at the picture, Yang could see the woman wearing them. Though quite old, Yang could still see how well the jewelry complemented her platinum blonde hair and green eyes. She was smiling pleasantly at the camera in front of the house.

' _Wait a moment.'_ This house belonged to the man in bed, and he was the only one inside, so who was she? The most obvious answer was that she was his wife, and looking at the rings Yang realized that one was an engagement ring and the other a wedding band. But she wasn't here, and for all of those to be left sitting there….

"I'm robbing an old man who lost his wife." Yang breathed out in a tone halfway between defeat and frustration. "What am I doing?"

The question hung in the air, forcing Yang to take stock of her situation. She was robbing an old widowed man, that's what she was doing, she said it herself. _'But I have to! I have to do this.'_

' _Raven left, Dad and Summer are gone… Ruby's all I have left, I can't lose her. I can't!'_ But this was all the old man had of the woman he loved, a picture and some jewelry. He didn't deserve to lose that because Yang wanted to save her own loved one. Ruby came first, but if she already had enough to pay for treatment, she didn't need to take this. If it left this house, though, Roman wouldn't exactly let her return it if she didn't need the extra money- it would be lost forever.

Letting out a groan, Yang tore her gaze from the jewels that were likely worth more than everything she had collected so far and turned back toward the door.

"Why didn't you take them?"

Yang cried out when she heard the voice, involuntarily dropping the bag of stolen items and pressing herself back against the wall. It was him, the man she'd thought was asleep, and he had been standing right behind her. Yang didn't know if he was very quiet, or if she'd truly been that distracted, but it didn't matter much now.

She needed to run, she couldn't afford to be caught- for Ruby's sake if nothing else. At the same time, though, if she escaped, but didn't bring what she had stolen, then she wouldn't be able to help her sister anyways. Yang had to get out with the bag, but could she? Would the old man try to stop her? She could probably get away if he did, but what if she hurt him accidentally? Yang remained silent, her words caught in her throat, as her eyes darted between the dropped bag, the man blocking her path, and the open door.

"Please, you don't need to panic," the stranger said, "I just want to know why you would take so much, but leave the most valuable things behind." He wasn't telling the whole truth, that much was clear. He certainly seemed curious, but Yang knew this was some kind of test. Why else would he be asking her this? Weighing her options, the woman decided that her honest reason was probably as good as any.

"Because it looked like something you'd never be able to replace. I couldn't take something that looks like it means that much to someone who hasn't done anything wrong." Yang almost cringed at how pathetic it sounded. It was so cliché, she didn't have the heart to hurt innocent people- it sounded like something Ruby would say.

Almost expecting the man to laugh at her, Yang was shocked when he simply continued asking questions. "And how would someone so… considerate wind up as a burglar, if I may ask?"

"Why do you care?" She replied angrily. She had lost her job, lost her home, and could very well lose her sister; but this stranger was acting like they were having a completely normal conversation as he tried to pry into her personal life!

"Because you showed that you're not in this for greed, but you obviously feel like this is your only choice." The grey-haired man sighed. "If you won't believe that I could be doing this out of generosity, then how about that if I don't help you, you'll just run off with that bag? I'm losing money either way."

"I- I have to help my sister, okay? I don't even really know what's wrong with her, but I sure as hell can't afford help." Part of Yang just wanted to run, to get as far away from this conversation as she could, but the words just kept coming. "We don't have a home, we don't have anyone helping us, and now I don't even have a job! I didn't want this, but… but what else can I do for her!?" Tears welled up in her lilac eyes, despite her attempts to hold them back. "My sister's all I have left, and for so long all I've wanted is to give her a better life. Now I don't even know if she'll survive!"

"Well, perhaps I could help you." The old man replied calmly. "Now I can't just give you money, that won't help you in the long term, but I think I have a solution that will work much better than that." Yang lifted her gaze up to meet him. "I've made friends with many people over my life, one just so happens to own a rather high-class apartment building in the city. Normally Miss Schnee wouldn't take on a new employee like this, but I helped her get out from under her father's thumb and stand on her own two feet, so I believe she'll make an exception for me."

Easing himself into a chair, the grey-haired man went on. "Of course, I can't say for sure what position she'll need you to fill, maybe a receptionist, or perhaps a custodian, but so long as you do your job well I can assure you you'll have, among other things, a room paid for by a fraction of your salary, medical insurance, and a steady source of income."

Yang was astonished. He was offering her everything she needed and asked for nothing in return. Well, nothing aside from not being robbed, but that wasn't exactly demanding. "Why? Why would you take a chance on me like this after what I tried to do?"

"I'm not taking a chance. You're a good person, and I believe that if I can put you in a situation where you have a choice to do the right thing, you will. I've made… many mistakes in my life. Punishing you for one that has yet to actually hurt anyone would be rather hypocritical of me, wouldn't you agree?"

Yang stepped forward and gave him a hug. Maybe it would have seemed odd to her before, hugging a stranger, but what this man was offering was a solution to all her problems. After everything that had gone wrong, after every time the worst had come to pass and revealed a whole new level of misery to Yang, something had finally gone _right_. She couldn't be bothered to hold back tears of joy as she held onto the mysterious man as if he might disappear should she let go.

"Now, I doubt you were working alone. Are the others in a similar situation to yourself, or should we call the police?" In response, Yang reached for the bag of stolen goods, and rummaged around until she found what she was looking for. Watching curiously, the man smiled as she produced his phone and held it out for him.

* * *

It didn't take long for Yang to get settled in their new home. While her boss seemed… uptight, she couldn't find it within herself to be anything but grateful to the white-haired woman. Weiss had set the two up in a room on the ground floor, and while not as luxuriously furnished as the others, it was leagues better than their old apartment, and incomparable to the warehouse. Working as a front-desk receptionist in the day and picking up some shifts at night cleaning the building, Yang had no need of a car to get to work.

Ruby, on the other hand, had a much more difficult transition. Not that she longed for the _glory days_ of freezing and hunger, but the circumstances that time had left her under took time to go away. Ruby had contracted a strain of bacterial pneumonia and required a trip to the hospital for appropriate treatment. With how long it had taken to receive treatment, Ruby's recovery was a relatively slow and unpleasant one. Eventually she made a full recovery, but that only meant she was now ready to resume classes at her new school.

In addition to having to wake up earlier, now that she needed additional time to walk to her bus stop, Ruby was forced to say goodbye to her old friends. They were across the city, and it wouldn't be easy for them to meet up. Given her sister's shy nature, Yang knew it would take a while before she made any friends at her new school. Hopefully she'd manage to keep up her grades despite the jarring changes in their life recently, if she did Yang knew her sister would get into a school that gave her enough financial aid for them to afford it.

It wasn't perfect, money was still very tight, and Ruby still missed her friends. But considering what the two had been through, Yang knew that the old man's act of Charity was more than she could have ever hoped for.

* * *

 **God I really hate how this turned out, let me know what you guys think in the reviews. Sorry this took so damn long, but I was busy with family, finals, wisdom teeth removal, more family, applying to about 12 summer programs and an internship, and going back to school. It's not a good excuse for over two months of waiting, but it's what I've got.**

 **Hopefully I can get back into writing my other stuff more easily, though I think I'm just scrapping my progress on the next Plot hole chapter because it's not turning out the way I'd originally thought it would.**

 **Minesniper**


End file.
